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Replies to: I don't have a green card. How does this effect me?

A guy I know who was Chinese citizen had a problem with his green card and couldn't go to college out of the state, but other than that, I don't know. It didn't affect his admissions, just where he could go since he couldn't take care of it in time. But, he is, seriously, he really, really is, a genius, and I'm sure he'll be amazing, no matter the rank of the college he's attending.

you won't be able to apply early action/decision to some schools if you're not a permanent resident/citizen. Other than that, there may be some exceptions with financial aid that you'd have to ask the particular schools you're applying to.

A green card would make you a permanent resident for admissions and financial aid. So you would be in the US pool for admissions and financial aid, and you would be eligible to file FAFSA for federal financial aid.

An H4 visa does not make you a permanent resident. I believe for most schools you would be considered an international applicant for both admissions and financial aid. But you need to check with each school as I think some schools treat you as not International. You would not be eligible for FAFSA.

swimcatsmom's right, unfortunately you'll be considered an international student at most schools and would not be eligible for FAFSA, which is "Free Application for Federal Student Aid", which one needs in order to apply for financial aid at a college.

I can kind of sympathize because my family didn't have green card several years ago either, (thank goodness we now do), and I have a friend who faced a similar situation as you. You sound like you're not going to be applying for college right away... well, hopefully you get your green card when the time comes!

As a person who went through the admissions process without a green card, I can confirm:

Green Card - You are in the domestic pool.
No Green Card - Tough luck. You are in the international pool, even if you have gone through elementary, middle, and high school in the States. This means tougher admissions and probably no financial aid.

You are Canadian. Take a very long hard look at the fine (and almost always less expensive than peer institutions in the US) colleges and universities in Canada.

You also need to find out whether or not you qualify for in-state tuition at the public colleges/universities/community colleges in the state where you are living. Each state has its own policy about this.

If you use the CollegeBoard.com college search feature, you can select for price ranges for in-state and out-of-state tuition/fees. Once you know how much your family can actually pay, you can look for affordable institutions.

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